in michigan, i signed a bill to raise the minimum wage to $7.40 an hour. that was six years ago. it needs to be raised again. the federal minimum wage is lower than that. it is now just $7.25 an hour. try, just try imagine earning $7.25 an hour and paying a mortgage or rent try living on $7.25 an hour and buying food, much less acquiring transportation in some way. forget clothing. that's a total luxury. this is a moral issue. but it is also an economic issue that's going to determine the vitality of our nation's recovery from recession. joining me now are two champions of the living wage fight. jonathan westin, director of fast food forward an organization that helped organize the strikes in new york. and linda archer is a current mcdonald's employee who's joined in the fight for better wages. they're joining us from new york. great to have you both inside "the war room" to share your story. really appreciate it. >> thank you. >> thanks for having us. >> jennifer: you bet. let me start with you, linda. you have worked for mcdonald's for almost three years. and you make $8 an hou